The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems was established in 1861 by King Mongkut (Rama IV) of the Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand). The order is bestowed upon the members of the Thai royal family and distinguished high-ranking officials who have given service to the kingdom and who are active Buddhist laypeople. In practice, it is the highest Thai order granted to Thai citizens, as the two higher orders are reserved for royalty or foreign heads of state. Members of the order are entitled to use the postnominals น.ร.

History

The order is based on the model of European orders of chivalry and merit. The nine gems are the Thai form of the original Hindu royal amulet known as the navaratna and in its original form consisted of a ring of gold bearing the nine gems awarded to a Thai general after he won an important military victory and is also part of the royal insignia given the Thai king at his coronation. This ring still is part of the insignia of the order and worn by the male members of the order. The nine precious stones of the royal amulet constitute an integral part of both the badge and the star of the order. The nine gems and the corresponding benefits that they bestow on their bearers are:

Insignia

The decoration consists of a single class (knight). The insignia are:

List of Sovereigns

List of recipients

Highlights indicate living members

Royal Knights

Royal Dames

Knights

Living recipients of the order